Time and money are a precious commodity. So when Ryan and I spent both on a not-so-good movie this past Friday, I refused to let either go to waste.
Instead of mourning the loss of a four dollar rental fee and two hours of movie time, I put on my writing-hat and decided to learn from the experience.
I asked myself two questions:
Why didn’t this movie work? How can I use the experience to become a better storyteller?
I came up with four important takeaways.
As writers, it’s important that we….
Keep the audience immersed in story world
So many things in this movie made me stop and go, “Come on, that’s so not believable.”
The main character is clearly Native American. His parents are clearly Caucasian. Yet he never suspected they might not be his biological parents?
On top of that, we have unbelievable behavior. By the end of the movie, we should have a kid who is completely traumatized. Yet instead of asking questions and grieving, he’s all smiles with his new girlfriend.
Lesson to be learned:
As writers, it’s so important that we pay attention to details. We have to do our research. We can’t overlook glaring inconsistencies in the name of fiction.
Our characters have to respond appropriately. If they experience something traumatic, we can’t gloss over that with cuddles and kisses. A glimpse of hope is always better than an unrealistic happily ever after.
Get to the story already
There was this hideously prolonged sparring scene between the main character and his “father”. It was a total ploy to see the actor show off his ninja skills. And it kept going on and on and on….
Lesson to be learned:
Every scene needs a purpose. If we find ourselves holding on to one just because it’s eloquent or clever or beautifully written, that’s almost always a sure sign to kiss it goodbye.
Make theme an integral part of the story
It was almost as if the movie writers were like, “Shoot. We forgot about theme.” So they tacked one on at the end.
Lesson to be learned:
Our theme can’t be an afterthought. We can’t deliver it via some character monologue at the end. At least not without making our readers roll their eyes. We should take care to weave our theme throughout the entirety of the story.
Embrace our heart, not what’s hot
As I watched, I couldn’t help wondering if the movie-people wrote the script for the sole purpose of capitalizing on this particular actor’s popularity. It was a two hour excuse to show him taking off his shirt, being all athletic, and kissing a girl.
Lesson to be learned:
We have to write what matters to us. We have to write what we love. We can’t jump on whatever bandwagon is hot at the time. Even if we do somehow make it through to publication, our readers will see right through it.
So there you go. Four things I learned from a bad movie. Four things I’m taking to heart. Because I don’t want readers throwing popcorn at my books.
Let’s Talk: Have you watched any bad movies lately? Did you learn anything from the experience? Do you agree with the four takeaways above?
I’m totally that person who loves the special features on a DVD. If I like a movie, I will rewatch the entire thing just to hear the commentary.
